Different May Be Better
by nawlins79
Summary: What could have happened to Andy's love life after walking away from her fight for Sam in episode 4x03.
1. Chapter 1

**A.N. So I started this right after episode 4x03 when Andy decides to walk away from Sam and not fight for him. I'm a Sam/Andy fan through and through, but at the time I wrote this I was more of an Andy fan and wanted to explore her making her own way without Sam – and away from Nick, who I feel is a much better friend than lover. I'm posting this as incomplete in the hopes of getting some reviews on whether or not to continue. That being said, enjoy!**

_Yeah, I don't want easy, I want crazy__  
__Are you with me baby? Let's be crazy_

_**I Want Crazy, by Hunter Hayes**_

"Andy needs to get laid," Chloe stated loudly and emphatically. "Like yesterday!"

Traci's mouth gaped opened and her eyebrows rose nearly to her hairline. She couldn't help but hear the gasp and subsequent coughing of her partner sitting just behind Chloe, who glanced back and began to hit him hard between the shoulders.

"Seriously, the girl is a desert, we have to do something," she said all the while slapping hard at Sam's back.

"I . . .I don't see how we can help," Traci stuttered over the sound of Sam hacking.

"Hey, you okay?" Chloe finally asked Sam.

He nodded, still sputtering a bit and tried to clean up the mess he made of his desk at the same time.

"Look, I just think we need a girls night and not at the Penny or at one of our apartments, one because I practically live with Dov and that defeats the purpose of a girls night, although he can paint toenails like no body's business."

Traci's mouth fell open again and it took everything in her to keep eye contact with Chloe and not look behind her at Sam, who had stopped moving and coughing and was now paying very close attention to what Chloe was saying.

"Okay? A girls' night. I think we can handle that."

"Great! You pick the place, but it has to be Thursday night. We all have Friday off. Give her maximum time to get her groove on. And it has to have single guys, but not desperate ones, so no clubs downtown. Oh, and there has to be music. Lots of loud, booty music."

"Are you sure you want me to find a place?" Traci asked, while cataloging all the places they could possibly go and still meet some of Chloe's criteria.

"Yes. I just think the girl needs some serious flirting and . . And smiling! You know, have a good time, away from the familiar. New people. Good times," Chloe waved her hands around as she spoke, nearly beaning Sam in the head. "So, Thursday night, girls night, music, flirting, smiling, got it?"

"Oh, I got it."

"Yay! Rock and roll!" Chloe clapped her hands; fist pumped the air and bounced out of the D's office.

Traci had turned to watch Chloe exit and slowly twirled her chair back around, running directly into Sam's stunned face.

"What?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Nothing."

"Figures." Traci said under her breath and went back to studying the opened file on her desk. It took a few moments before Sam turned to face his desk and it took all of Traci's willpower to keep from saying exactly what was on her mind.

(…)

If there was one thing Andy McNally knew without a doubt, it was that she was woefully lacking in the romance department. Not that she really wanted romance. Or rather romance with just anyone. Months later and she still couldn't look at Sam without having completely inappropriate thoughts about him. Which, then led to very unfortunate thoughts about what he might be doing with . . . the other woman . . . rather than her.

Then she would end up on her sofa alone after work with a pint of ice cream and cheesy rom-com movies to pass the time. She avoided the shelf of action movies since nearly all had some connotations of time spent lazing about on the sofa with Sam . . . and not with ice cream . . . except that one time, which she'd rather not think about.

So it didn't surprise her in the least that Traci, with a healthy nudge from Chloe, set up a girl's night for them to go trolling for guys, or more specifically a guy for Andy, to flirt with.

"Why am I doing this again?" Andy whined. She was sitting patiently on the seat of her toilet, staring at the ceiling and praying Chloe wouldn't poke her in the eye with the eyeliner pencil.

"Because you need to get out and meet someone new."

"But . . "

"Don't think I didn't see the three pints of ice cream in your trash bin."

"Yeah, why would you buy pistachio ice cream? That stuff is disgusting," Traci piped up from Andy's room.

Okay, so maybe she had indulged in a little pity party the other night, sobbing over Die Hard into a bowl of green ice cream. It's not like she caved every night, maybe every third night . . . okay every other night, but who could judge her?

"Andy, just trust me." Chloe finished lining Andy's eyes and produced a hand mirror with flourish.

Andy raised her eyebrows as she inspected Chloe's work. The liner was heavier than everyday wear, but lighter than she normally wore when going out on the town. It was also a glittery black and emphasized her smoky color palette.

"Fine. You win," Andy said with a sigh. "But don't think this has disaster written all over it." She stated over her shoulder as she walked out of the bathroom and into her bedroom.

Traci was lounging on the bed, flipping through a magazine, which immediately brought back memories of another time and place. Andy fought back the memories, beating them down with a mental baseball bat, then slipped on a pair of low-heeled boots.

"So where are we headed?"

Twenty minutes later, Chloe pulled up next to The Shamrock, as pronounced by the rather loud and sparkly shamrock above the main door.

"Get us a table and I'll grab drinks!" Traci yelled over the din of the band warming up on stage.

Chloe grabbed Andy's hand, raising it so they wouldn't knock any drinks over, making her way to the other side of the stage where a lone empty table sat.

Andy sat down facing the stage while Chloe dragged the other two chairs around to face the stage as well. Both surveyed the bar as they waited for Traci.

A few minutes later Traci returned and placed three pints of green beer in front of them.

"What the hell is that?" Chloe asked, pointing at the drink in front of her. She slid it across the table so she could smell it.

"Shamrock Lager," Traci replied. "It's their signature beer."

Andy and Chloe looked at each other, clinked glasses and took a huge gulp.

The band was busy tuning their instruments while the patrons of the bar conversed loudly. The Shamrock was the opposite of the Penny. Andy could see some cops seated throughout the room, easily spotted by how they held their arms as though ready to draw a gun in a heartbeat, and of course the requisite badge bunnies, but there were also college students huddled around the pool tables, older patrons crowded towards the back as far from the stage as possible. Even a couple of drunks on the far edges of the bar top nursing whisky and scotch.

"Where did you find this place?" Andy asked.

"Um, I heard about it from one of the officers on the day shift a few days ago. Said this place had good live music," Traci answered. She didn't want to tell Andy that Sam's old mentor had mentioned the place. She knew Sam would never show up here after what had happened with Charlie. He was loyal to the Penny for his after work drinks.

"This is great! And the guys are hot!" Chloe spoke up; her voice was loud enough to cause the table of guys next to theirs to grin at them.

It was then the band started and Andy's focus shifted to them. More specifically to the perfect specimen of man holding an acoustic guitar. The lead singer was a woman with a voice between Adele and Sheryl Crow. His voice perfectly complimented hers and Andy could detect a slight accent, but couldn't tell from where based on his singing.

The music was amazing. After two songs, the audience changed from actively listening to the music to dancing on the makeshift dance floor in front of the stage. Conversations flowed around them.

The guitar player was mesmerizing. Andy couldn't stop staring at him. Even while talking with Chloe and Traci she kept one eye on him.

He was fairly tall with black jeans that hugged his thighs and ass in the right places. He wore a white wife beater under an unbuttoned camo green shirt, several chains hung around his neck though they disappeared under his shirts.

"I think Andy has forgotten we're here," Chloe stated, poking her hard in the side.

"Hey! That hurt!" Andy rubbed her side tearing her eyes away from the stage.

"You should talk to him when they're finished," Chloe suggested.

Andy took a large gulp of beer to empty her glass. A quick glance back at the stage showed she had caught his attention. He was looking straight at her, grinning as he sang. He winked and Andy couldn't help the blush rushing up her neck.

"Ohhhh, wow!" Chloe was practically wiggling in her seat. "I so have to text Dov."

She pulled her phone out and snapped a picture before Andy could grab for the phone.

"Stop it! You promised you wouldn't tell the boys where we went tonight!"

"I'm not telling where we are, just sending him a picture of the most perfect piece of man meat I've ever laid eyes on. I mean, Dov is great and incredible in bed, but c'mon?! Sexy guitar guy? Has to be stellar."

Andy groaned and buried her face in her hands. Traci laughed and pat her on the back.

"It could be worse."

"Really? How?"

Traci stared at the ceiling before shrugging her shoulders in defeat. Andy shook her head then turned back to the stage to enjoy the music.


	2. Chapter 2

"_**We don't need to rush this, let's just take it slow"**_

_**- Just a Kiss, Lady Antebellum **_

"You going to answer that?" Marlo asked, glancing over to the passenger seat where Andy slumped against the window.

The rapid guitar beat filled the cruiser, although it was slightly muffled from being in her pants pocket. Andy's heart beat wildly once the song registered and she knew who exactly was calling.

"Yeah, yeah, sure," she answered and fumbled for the phone. "Hey, hi!" She tried unsuccessfully to turn her back to Marlo for a little privacy.

Marlo watched with amusement. They were stopped at the park for a short break before heading back out to patrol the streets. Andy had been unusually quiet for most of the morning. They had formed a sort of truce with each other once it became apparent they would be partnered more often than not. Marlo wasn't one to feel threatened by her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend, but Andy caused a little intimidation.

"Hmmm, I'm off at six tonight," Andy's voice broke into Marlo's musings. "Yeah, that sounds great. Mmm, bye."

Andy clicked off the phone and slipped it back into her pocket. She slumped against the window, tucking her hands between her thighs and released a sigh. She wanted to block out Marlo and any chance of her asking questions about a personal call while on duty. She still hadn't figured the woman out. Besides being a stickler for rules and barely cracking a smile, Andy had no clue who she was as a regular person. Not that she really cared. The less she knew about the woman Sam chose to date instead of her, the better.

"Hot date?"

"What?" Andy said keeping her eyes closed, silently willing her partner to shut up.

"Sounded like you were making plans for later. I figured it was a date." Marlo responded, shifting slightly in her seat. Her eyes tracked across the park checking for problems. She refused to entertain the thought that if Andy didn't have a date, then she wasn't finally getting over Sam and . . . .she shut that thought back down. She had to trust Sam when he said their relationship was over, regardless of Andy's feelings.

"Meeting up with a friend," Andy finally replied. "Break over?"

Marlo took a deep breath, forced down the sarcastic reply and nodded. Andy sat up and put her attention on the computer between them, scanning the list of possible areas to drive through. Without another word between them Marlo put the car in drive and headed towards the south side of their patrol zone.

Four hours later they pulled into the parking lot. Marlo could count on one hand how many times they had spoken to each other. It had been too quiet a day for both of them. Marlo sighed when Andy jumped out of the car, slammed the door and headed towards the door to the barn with long legged strides. Even in uniform there was no mistaking the rolling sway of her hips. It hit her all over again that Sam had once dated Andy. Marlo beat back the bite of jealousy and got out of the car. She lifted her face to the sky and took a deep breath, one that was no longer filled with whatever perfume and soap combination Andy wore.

"Hey, you okay?" Oliver asked, himself looking toward the sky.

"I'm . . . fine," Marlo settled on, once again reminded there were few people at 15 she could trust to talk with about Andy and Sam's relationship. Oliver, although being Sam's best friend was someone she had learned quickly was very much in the camp of McSwarek – a term she found aggravatingly annoying, especially given Dov's penchant for saying it as often as he could get away with.

"Sure you are," he said with a grin. "Keep telling yourself that. Andy cause problems today?"

Marlo looked at him in surprise. He shrugged.

"She can be a handful most days." He said by way of explanation.

Marlo snorted softly then pulled her bag out of the backseat. "I think I can handle one rookie for a day."

"Okay."

(…)

Sam was just leaving the break room when Andy rushed past him, her shoulder holding her phone to her ear while she rummaged through her purse. She didn't stop or even slow down to acknowledge his presence. His eyes followed her progress down the hall to where she stopped in front of the door heading to the parking lot.

"You're here? I thought I was meeting you there? No, no, no problem. I swear. It's good. I'm heading out right now," her voice carried down the short hallway. Sam's eyes narrowed when she let out a bright laugh, opened the door and waved at whoever was waiting beyond. He couldn't see past her and it didn't sit well with him.

"Keep that up and you'll start to drool on yourself."

Sam jerked and found Ollie standing right next to him. Ollie just raised his eyebrows and nodded in the direction Andy had left in.

"What do you want?" He asked with a glower at him.

Ollie regarded him for a moment, trying to gauge his mood and figured no matter what he said was going to be met with avoidance or derision, in the end he didn't care much.

"Marlo was partnered with Andy today. They didn't exactly part on good terms. Practically freezing cold out there."

"Your point would be?"

"My point is, your girlfriend spent the better part of the day with your ex-girlfriend and came back at the end of shift in a mood. Either Andy was being her usual charming self and got on her nerves or they barely spoke to each other and got on each other's nerves," Ollie explained.

Sam closed his eyes and counted to ten. He felt the energy seep out of his body. Marlo had not once pressured him for information on Andy, even after Andy had come back from undercover, but now that they were partnered on a regular basis, Sam could feel the questions building in Marlo, though she never voiced them. He was just waiting for the day when her curiosity got the better of her. And he did not want it to be today.

"Where's Marlo?" He finally asked.

"Locker room."

(…)

"I haven't done this since I was a teen!" Andy exclaimed amid the sound of the thump and crash of bowling balls against oiled lanes and pins.

She was methodically checking each and every ball lined up in the racks along the back wall of the lanes. She particularly liked the neon colored balls, but couldn't find one to fit her hand. Most balls were not designed for left handed bowlers and she hated bowling with her right hand.

"I thought you'd like it," a mellow lilting Irish accent replied.

Andy glanced over her shoulder and found him staring at her with a crooked smile on his lips. His thick reddish-brown hair fell into his grey-green eyes, as he bent over to tie the laces on his rented bowling shoes.

"You thought right," she replied with another grin and then a surprised laugh when a bowling ball with pink, green and white swirls fit her left hand perfectly. "I might have to steal this one," she said, swinging her arm for practice.

"I'll distract the manager," he said, standing up and bounced a bit to test the shoes fit. "Let's get to it."

She placed her ball next to the plain black one he had already picked out. While she entered their names into the computer, he ordered them a pitcher of beer and a pizza from the waitress circling among the throng of bowlers and little kids crowding the lanes.

"I'm going to guess that you don't need my help lining up your shot?" He asked with a laugh when Andy stepped up on the lane. He was referencing the night they had met and he'd talked her into playing pool.

"I think I got this," she retorted. "Watch and learn, big guy."

"Best view in the house, darlin'," he shot back. He folded his arms and leaned against the high top table, his eyes intent on her, the sway of her hips, the way the swing of her arm pulled up the tight shirt she wore exposing a slice of tanned skin. She raised her arms in triumph when the ball slashed through all pins, knocking them down with a crash.

"Strike!" She yelled, turning to him with a huge smile, her arms in the air. "Beat that!"

He laughed at her exuberance and when she hopped off the lane, wrapped a hand around her hip and squeezed lightly, his thumb rubbing against that tanned skin lightly. They locked eyes for a brief moment.

Andy took a shaky breath when he released her. That brief touch had sparked a whole lot of butterflies she wasn't used to feeling. Aside from a few platonic kisses from Nick during their undercover stint, a man hadn't touched her over a year.

She had scoffed at the idea of trolling for guys when Chloe and Traci had dragged her out for girl's night. Then she had caught sight of him, up on stage, singing with that amazing voice, his fingers nimble on the guitar strings, plucking each in a way that left nothing to the imagination for what he could do with them in other situations. When he had caught her eye and winked, she had felt a flicker of something she couldn't identify, but then he had dropped into the seat next to her when they were done and she realized it was desire.

He had introduced himself as Chase Cavanaugh with his mellow Irish accent and she had been charmed. She couldn't even remember what they talked about except that at some point during the night, Traci and Chloe had left and Chase had talked her into a game of pool. Where he proceeded to show her the proper way to play, leaning against her back, his hands hot on her hips. They had joked and laughed splitting a pitcher of beer as they traded barbs and good-natured ribbing. It had been apparent towards the end of the night he had wanted her go home with him, but the similarity of the evening to the first night spent with Sam was too great and she couldn't. Not that it had stopped him from exchanging numbers and calling her first thing the next morning.

In the two weeks since then, they had gone to breakfast a couple of times after their respective overnight shifts, met up at Shamrock's for drinks after work, went to dinner and a movie and talked or text on the phone.

"Haha!" Chase laughed as he pivoted towards her with his arm stretched behind him gesturing to the pins. "Strike!"

"Lucky."

"Talented."

"Wishful thinking."

"Hopeful."

He reached for her, wrapped his arms around her waist and dropped a quick kiss to her lips. Andy rested her hands on his biceps and hummed softly. She smiled and closed her eyes lifting her face to his. He kissed the tip of her nose before settling his mouth against hers. He tasted of beer and mint and for a brief moment she was sent back to another time and another place, but the crash of pins and his slightly taller stature brought her to the present. She sank into the kiss and enjoyed the play of lips and tongue and breath mingling.

He broke the kiss, gave her waist a squeeze and slowly ran his hands across the swell of her ass to rest on her hips. "Tasty." He whispered against her mouth.

Andy cleared her throat and stepped away. She hadn't been expecting the rush of lust for Chase to be mixed with sharp memories of Sam. She knew this was the first step to moving on from him. It wasn't as easy as she had hoped it would be. With Luke it had been anger and embarrassment at being cheated on. Then realizing she hadn't truly loved him, not the way she fell in love with Sam. Him breaking things off the way he had, had given her no closure to the relationship. So her heart was having a hard time catching up to her head.

"Chase, I . . . " Andy started, floundering with how to continue.

"Hey, Andy," he said, his hand resting lightly on her shoulder. "No pressure, okay?"

Andy looked at him in surprise. He shrugged with a lopsided grin.

"We'll bowl, pig out on pizza and beer," he said good-naturedly. "We can decide where the night ends later."

Andy nodded. A slow grin spread across her face as they stared at each other, her cheeks flushing pink from the heat reflected in his eyes. He smiled back at her, then stepped aside and gestured to her bright bowling ball.

"I bet you can't get another strike," he taunted softly as she passed him.

"Fifty says I will win the game."

"You're on."

**A.N. Reviews are welcomed. Bashing of the writers/characters is not. This is not the place to argue over Season 4.**


End file.
